Meeting Him (2)
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Shanks Pov
"Do you know a woman named Sara?"
I asked the man himself.
His expression didn't change, but I saw the flicker in his eyes.
"…Sara?"
"Long time ago," he muttered. "Yeah. Why?"
"She had a son," I said, voice firmer now. "After you left. You didn't know."
"…You're her kid?"
I nodded.
"And I'm the old man."
"You are."
Saying Gildarts looked surprised would be the understatement of the century. His eyes were wide. He looked surprised, mortified, shocked all in one.
"I have a son...?" He spoke.
I nodded. He still looked shocked.
"I have a son…?"
He said it again, as if the words were just bouncing around in his skull, trying to find a place to land.
Gildarts scratched the back of his head, mouth slightly open. A little laugh slipped out—disbelieving, confused, almost like he thought someone was playing a trick on him.
I didn't say anything. Just stood there, sword loosely held at my side.
He looked me up and down again, this time slower. Less battle-readiness, more… something else.
"You're serious."
"I wouldn't joke about something like this."
He sat down on a nearby tree stump, elbows on his knees. For a second, he didn't speak. Then, with a sigh, he looked up at the sky.
"Sara… She never told me."
"She died."
His head lowered slightly. Not a dramatic gesture. No shouting. Just quiet.
"She was strong," he said, voice low. "And kind. Didn't deserve that."
"No. She didn't."
We sat in silence for a moment. Wind stirred the trees. A few birds chirped above, oblivious to whatever it was that had just shifted in the air between us.
"…You're strong," he finally said, looking up at me again. "You've got a weird way of showing affection—picking fights like that—but you've got talent. Real dangerous kind."
"You flicked me into a crater."
"Yeah, sorry about that," he grinned.
I exhaled. Half a chuckle. It was surreal. And yet… not unpleasant.
"Let's go," I said, turning. "We've got a guild to return to, and you still have yet to meet your daughter."
"Let's go," I said, turning. "We've got a guild to return to, and you still have yet to meet your daughter."
Gildarts blinked. "My what!?"
I kept walking, boots crunching lightly over the dirt. He didn't move.
"A daughter!?" he repeated, still rooted to the spot.
I glanced over my shoulder. "Yeah. You heard me."
He caught up in a few long strides. "Okay, okay, hold on. I can maybe wrap my head around having a son out of nowhere, but a daughter? That's—who?"
"Cornelia's."
The name hit him like a gust. He stopped walking again.
"…Cornelia?"
I nodded. "You were married, weren't you?"
"Yeah," he muttered, more to himself. "Years ago. But I was always away… I thought—after she left, I figured she'd moved on."
"She didn't. She didn't even know she was pregnant when she left."
His face changed again. Less of the usual carefree Gildarts. More human. Real.
"She gave birth months later," I continued. "Named her Cana."
"…Cana."
"She's eight. Smart. A little too brave for her own good. Already carrying a deck of cards around like it's second nature."
He looked down at his hands. Then quietly:
"She's mine."
"Yeah. And you've got some catching up to do."
There was a beat of silence. Then a quiet breath escaped him—half a laugh, half a sigh.
"I'm gonna need a drink."
"You'll get one," I said, smirking. "Right after you meet her."
He scratched the back of his neck. "What… What does she know? About me?"
I shrugged. "Bits. She knows her dad's a Fairy Tail mage. Strong. Kind of an idiot."
"Fair."
"She's been wanting to meet you for a long time."
"I failed as a man."
"You sure did."
He smiled. A sad smile.
"…What happened to Cornelia?" he asked softly.
"She died. When Cana was six."
He didn't say anything for a while. Just kept walking.
"I wasn't there for her," he finally said.
"No. But you can be here now."
He nodded slowly.
"…Let's go meet her."
I nodded and looked at him. He was only a bit taller than me. I could see his eyes. They were teary.
He ruffled my hair.
"I am sorry, but I will be present now...Can I call you son?" He said softly.
I chuckled.
"Sure. Oldman."
"I am still young!"
He screamed and I chuckled.
We entered the town.
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